Bay State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Massachusetts in the week ending July 22, making up less than 0.9% of total deaths by all causes in Massachusetts, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 1,075 deaths in the state. 15.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.7% were from cancer and less than 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.2% of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	255	23.7
Heart disease	167	15.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	47	4.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	41	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	25	2.3
Alzheimer's disease	22	2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 0.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	110	10.2